By Sam Elliott
A Hamilton Southeastern High School tradition returns beginning April 30 as students and Master Gardener volunteers working with Thomas Younts’ agriculture class will be selling the plants they’ve been growing in the school’s greenhouse this year.
A variety of plants, vegetables, flowers and herbs will be available for purchase to benefit the school’s Future Farmers of America group.
“We’ve got about 14 varieties of tomatoes, mostly heirlooms,” Master Gardener volunteer for three years Elizabeth Boase said. “It’s always a good year for tomatoes in that greenhouse. We sell a bunch of those. People love those things.
“We’ve got all kinds of herbs, we’ve got a few flowers, peppers, we’ve got a bunch of succulents this year, which we’ve never had before,” she added. “Hopefully we’ll do even better with those next year. We’ve got some horseradish, a lot of mint, a lot of aloe and kale, a few strawberry plants and other kinds of stuff.”
Boase is one of seven volunteers who work with the high school’s horticulture classes in exchange for greenhouse space they can use to grow products for the annual Master Gardener sale at the Noblesville fairgrounds May 21.
“We help teach the kids about horticulture, we do volunteering, watering and help out on weekends,” Boase said. “This group is awesome. They all want to be there and they’re just smart-as-can-be kids. They’re doing so well. It’s almost a college-level class at this point.”
The plant sale runs from April 30 through May 7, open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays and 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at the HSEHS greenhouse behind the school.
